Apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The apparatus comprises a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface including an upper rounded section and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section. The upper rounded section and the plurality of walls are adapted to support portions of the foot in inverted and everted positions.

BACKGROUND

In general, this application relates to an apparatus and methods for stretching the posterior portion of the lower leg, and more particularly to an apparatus and methods for providing stabilized ankle joint dorsiflexion while controlling hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot pathomechanics.

Loss of dorsiflexion range of motion in the ankle (secondary to posterior compartment tightness) may contribute to painful pes planovalgus (PPV) or flatfoot, subsequent posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and other problems. When dorsiflexion is compromised by posterior compartment tightness, the paths of least resistance during tibial progression over the foot are excessive hindfoot valgus and midfoot collapse with forefoot abduction.

Passive range of motion stretching is frequently prescribed for symptomatic PPV patients. When passive stretching occurs, without controlling the pathomechanics of PPV, the posterior compartment is not isolated and the midfoot is loaded into a collapsed position. This results in suboptimal outcomes from passive range of motion stretching with the potential for symptom exacerbation.

Stretching is also implicated for patients with equinovarus. Equinovarus foot and ankle condition is commonly associated with anterior compartment strength compromise (e.g., clubfoot, Charcot Marie Tooth disease, cerebral vascular accident, etc.). As the anterior compartment may be overpowered by the posterior compartment, limited dorsiflexion range of motion may result. The associated varus posture of the foot and ankle associated with these conditions necessitates hindfoot and forefoot control during passive stretching of the posterior compartment.

Accordingly, there is a need to improve the control over the pathomechanics of PPV and equinovarus under passive range of motion stretching.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An apparatus and method for stretching the muscles of the lower leg are generally disclosed. More particularly, an apparatus and methods for stabilizing the foot while stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg are disclosed. The methods include dorsiflexion wherein the feet are positioned so that the forefoot and hindfoot are inverted or everted while the posterior compartment is simultaneously stretched.

In one embodiment, an apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg is provided and includes a body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface. The outer surface includes a rounded upper section and a plurality of walls. The upper section supports at least a portion of a foot. The plurality of walls extend downwardly from the upper section and includes a sidewall that also supports at least a portion of the foot.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The method includes providing a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface and positioning a portion of a foot on a rounded upper section and a sidewall of the outer surface.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The method includes providing a first body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface and a second body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface; positioning at least a portion of a first foot on a first upper section and a first sidewall of the outer surface of the first body; and positioning at least a portion of a second foot on a second upper section and a second sidewall of the outer surface of the second body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg as shown in FIG. 1 and further illustrating feet positioned on an outer surface of the apparatus in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg as shown in FIG. 1 and further illustrating feet positioned on the apparatus in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg illustrating a foot positioned on the lower leg stretcher in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of an apparatus for stretching a lower leg as shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION

The following description and examples illustrate some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg. Those of skill in the art will recognize that there may be numerous variations and modifications of the apparatus and methods that may be encompassed by the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the description of the exemplary embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the various aspects of the apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg, the following are defined below.

The term “hindfoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the posterior portion of the human foot. For example, the hindfoot may include the areas of the foot comprising the subtalar joint and the adjacent bones and soft tissue. The term “midfoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the human foot that includes the tarsometatarsal joints and adjacent bones and soft tissue. The term “forefoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the foot that includes the metatarsophalangeal joints and adjacent bones and soft tissue.

The term “medial longitudinal arch” or “arch” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the human foot that includes the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiforms, and the first three metatarsal bones.

The term “lower leg” as used herein refers without limitation to the portion of the human leg below the knee. For example, the lower leg may include leg, ankle, and foot portions.

The term “posterior compartment” as used herein refers without limitation to the area of the leg comprising the gastrocnemius, plantaris, and soleus muscles. All three of these muscles are connected to the Achilles tendon or calcaneal tendon. The posterior compartment may also include the muscles of the deep posterior compartment, such as the flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallicus longus, and tibialis posterior muscles.

The term “inverted position” as used herein refers without limitation to turning the foot or a portion of the foot medially or toward the midline of the body so that the sole of the foot is facing in an inward direction.

The term “everted position” as used herein refers without limitation to turning the foot or a portion of the foot laterally or away from the midline of the body so that the sole of the foot is facing in an outward direction.

In FIG. 1, an apparatus for stretching the lower leg is illustrated, and generally designated at 10. The lower leg stretcher 10 comprises a body 12 having an outer surface. The outer surface of the body 12 is dome-shaped and includes a rounded upper section 14 and a plurality of walls. The plurality of walls extend downwardly from the upper section 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walls comprise a front wall 16, sidewalls 18 a, 18 b, and a rear wall 20. The front wall 16, sidewalls 18 a, 18 b, and rear wall 20 slope down from the top rounded section 14 to a rim 22.

In some embodiments, the stretcher 10 is made of a rigid material such as hard plastic or any combination or mixture of materials that do not compress, deform, or collapse under body weight. In other embodiments, the stretcher 10 is made of a flexible material(s) of varying durometers such as rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the leg stretcher 10 is formed from a single unitary plastic piece such that the stretcher 10 is easy and cost effective to manufacture, ship, and store. The upper section 14 and the walls (16, 18 a, 18 b, 20) define an inner cavity 24. The lower leg stretcher 10 is formed by molding, extrusion, thermoforming, coating, or by any other manufacturing method or combination of methods. In the illustrated embodiment, the rim 22 is square-shaped, but may also be, for example, round-shaped, triangle-shaped, or any other shape. In the embodiment shown, the stretcher 10 is lightweight, stackable, and cost effective to manufacture as a minimal amount of material is needed to form a hollow body. In other embodiments, the body 12 may be solidly formed. For example, stretcher 10 may be configured such that a planar surface extends along the entire bottom area of body 12. In some embodiments, the body 12 may be solidly formed from a rigid material such as a plastic or a flexible material(s) of varying durometers such as rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or combinations thereof. The unitary construction of the stretcher 10 allows the user to stretch the lower leg with very little complications or instructions.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the rim 22 extends along the bottom edges of front wall 16, sidewalls 18 a, 18 b, and rear wall 20 and along the perimeter of the inner cavity 24. For example, the rim 22 may extend from the bottom edge of the walls (18 a, 18 b, 16, 20) at varying distances. The rim 22 supports and stabilizes the stretcher 10 on a working surface such as a floor. The rim 22 may optionally be secured to a platform, to the floor, or to the working surface. For example, the rim 22 may be nailed or glued to a platform or a base support for additional stability. In some embodiments, a non-slip or gripping material is applied to the portion of the rim contacting a surface to impart slip resistance to the stretcher 10.

In FIG. 3, a textured material 28 is shown covering the surface of the stretcher 10. However, the outer surface of leg stretcher 10 may be smooth as illustrated in FIG. 1. The textured material 28 is a polymer, a synthetic rubber (e.g. neoprene), a natural rubber, or any other material or combination of materials suitable for imparting slip resistance or surface texture. In some embodiments, the textured material 28 provides cushioning, slip resistance, or foot placement guidance. Textured material 28 is applied directly to the outer surface of the body 12 by dip coating, spray coating, adhering, or by any other means for depositing the material on the outer surface of the stretcher 10. In some embodiments, textured material 28 covers the entire outer surface of the leg stretcher 10. In other embodiments, the coating only covers a portion of the outer surface of the stretcher 10. For example, a rubber coating may only cover the surface portions on which the foot is to be placed or a number of rubber cut outs may be spaced out and glued onto the surface of the leg stretcher 10.

In other embodiments, embedded texture is formed in the outer surface of the body 12. For example, the plastic outer surface of the body 12 may be formed with dimples, ridges, or any other type of surface texture to prevent a user's foot from slipping. In other embodiments, indentations or raised markings for user guidance are formed in the outer surface of the stretcher 10. For example, the outer surface of the body 12 may be imprinted with an indentation in the shape of a foot or arrows or text to provide stretching or foot placement instructions.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper section 14 is elevated higher than the walls (16, 18 a, 18 b, 20) forming a bisected teardrop profile. The rear wall 20 slopes downwardly from the upper section 14 more gradually than the front wall 16 making the front wall 16 steeper than the rear wall 20.

In use, a user positions one or both feet on the outer surface of the stretcher 10. In the illustrated embodiments, the foot is positioned so that the toes of a forefoot 30 are directed toward front wall 16 and the heel of a hindfoot 32 is directed toward rear wall 20 (FIGS. 4 and 5). In this way, the forefoot 30 is positioned at a higher elevation than the hindfoot 32 enabling an appropriate dorsiflexion load to be imposed when the forefoot 30 and the hindfoot 32 are in contact with the outer surface of the body 12. The dorsiflexion load and concurrent passive stretch of the posterior compartment may be increased as the user progresses their center of mass anteriorly. For example, the user may simply lean forward and may optionally touch a wall or other supporting structure for balance as one or both feet are positioned on the stretcher 10. A user may also increase the dorsiflexion load by placing a portion of the hindfoot 32, such as the heel, on the ground and the forefoot 30 on the wall (16, 18 a, 18 b, or 20) of the stretcher 10.

In FIG. 5, a right foot 26 a is positioned on the right sidewall 18 a and a left foot 26 b is positioned on the left sidewall 18 b (see also, e.g., FIG. 3). In this position, the sidewalls 18 a, 18 b support the forefoot 30 and the hindfoot 32 in an inverted position. Positioning the forefoot and the hindfoot in inversion so that the sole of the foot faces inward corrects for any eversion of the foot that may occur in patient with PPV (i.e. flatfoot).

The upper section 14 is convex-shaped and supports at least a portion of a medial longitudinal arch 34 as shown in FIG. 4. The sidewalls 18 a, 18 b support another portion of the medial longitudinal arch 34. Alternatively, a foot may be positioned on the outer surface of the body 12 such that the medial longitudinal arch 34 is completely supported by the upper section 14 and/or sidewall 18 a or 18 b. In either embodiment, the medial longitudinal arch 34 is supported to prevent collapse.

In some embodiments, the sidewalls 18 a, 18 b support a portion of the forefoot 30 and hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26 a and left foot 26 b. In other embodiments, the front wall 16 and rear wall 20 each support a portion of the forefoot 30 or hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26 a and/or left foot 26 b (see, FIG. 4). For example, the support of the foot on front wall 16 and rear wall 20 may depend on the size of the user's foot, the size of the stretcher 10, or the position of the foot. A user with a larger foot may extend over a greater distance on the surface of front wall 16 and/or rear wall 20 compared to a user with a smaller foot size. The length, width, and height of stretcher 10 and the relative size of each section may, for example, be optimized for maximum support of a user's foot or feet.

In one embodiment, the entire plantar surface (i.e. the sole) of the foot is in contact with the outer surface of stretcher 10. For example, a user with PPV may position their feet on stretcher 10 such that the portion of the plantar surface of the foot corresponding to a fallen arch is supported in addition to the rest of the sole. In this way, the corrective loads are comfortably distributed over the broadest possible surface area.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a right foot 26 a is positioned on the left sidewall 18 b, front wall 16, and rear wall 20. The left sidewall 18 b slopes downwardly from the upper section 14 such that the hindfoot 32 as well as the forefoot 30 of the right foot 26 a are everted or turned outward from the midline of the body. In the illustrated embodiment, the left side wall 18 b supports at least a portion of the right foot 26 a in an everted position. In another embodiment, the right side wall 18 a supports at least a portion of the left foot 26 b in an everted position. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the right foot 26 a and/or left foot 26 b are positioned on the upper section 14 in an everted position. This positioning ensures that the forefoot 30 and hindfoot 32 of users with equinovarus conditions are everted during the passive stretch of the posterior compartment.

Depending on the position of the foot, the upper section 14 supports at least a portion of the forefoot 30 and hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26 a and/or left foot 26 b. For example, a user may place their left foot on the right sidewall of the stretcher 10 while placing their right foot on the ground or on an elevated platform located adjacent to the stretcher 10. The supporting foot, for example, may be placed on a platform such that the supporting foot is at the same height as the foot engaging the stretching apparatus to promote balance and ensure optimal stretching of the lower leg. In other embodiments, a user positions one foot on one of the stretcher 10 and the other foot on another of the stretcher 10. For example, a user may place their right foot on the left sidewall of a first stretcher and place their left foot on the right sidewall of an adjacent second stretcher. In this way, both posterior compartments of the lower legs are stretched at the same time and the user is able to remain balanced on both apparatuses during the stretch. The dorsiflexion load may be increased by shifting the user's center of mass forward. The two stretchers may be, for example, fastened together or secured to the floor or a supporting structure for added stability. The stretchers may be positioned adjacent to each other at varying distances.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the apparatus comprising: a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface, the outer surface including: a rounded upper section for supporting at least a portion of a foot; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section, the plurality of walls including at least one sidewall for supporting at least a portion of the foot.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rim extending along the bottom edges of the plurality of walls for supporting the apparatus on a surface.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the foot comprises a forefoot and a hindfoot.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the forefoot and the hindfoot are supported on the outer surface of the body and the forefoot is positioned at a higher elevation than the hindfoot.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an inverted position.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an everted position.
 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the upper section supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an everted position.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the foot comprises a medial longitudinal arch.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upper section supports at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch.
 11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls further comprises a rear wall, wherein the rear wall supports at least a portion of the hindfoot.
 12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls further comprises a front wall, wherein the front wall supports at least a portion of the forefoot.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a textured material applied to a portion of the outer surface of the body.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the textured material comprises neoprene.
 15. A method for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the method comprising: providing a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface, the outer surface including: a rounded upper section; a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section, the plurality of walls comprising at least one sidewall; positioning at least a portion of one or more feet on the upper section and on the at least one sidewall.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising contacting the entire plantar surface of the one or more feet on a portion of the outer surface of the body.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprises a right foot and a left foot and the at least one sidewall comprises a right side wall and a left sidewall.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the right foot on the right sidewall in an inverted position.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot on the left sidewall in an inverted position.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the right foot on the left sidewall in an everted position.
 21. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot on the right sidewall in an everted position.
 22. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot and a portion of the right foot on the upper section in an everted position.
 23. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprise a medial longitudinal arch.
 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising positioning at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch on the at least one side wall.
 25. The method of claim 23, further comprising positioning at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch on the upper section.
 26. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprise a hindfoot and a forefoot.
 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising imposing a dorsiflexion load by positioning the forefoot and the hindfoot on the outer surface of the body such that the forefoot is at a higher elevation that the hindfoot.
 28. The method of claim 19, further comprising increasing the dorsioflexion load by tilting the center of mass of a user forward.
 29. A method for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the method comprising: providing a first body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface, the outer surface comprising: a first rounded upper section; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the first upper section, the plurality of walls comprising a first sidewall; providing a second body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface, the outer surface comprises: a second rounded upper section; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the second upper section, the plurality of walls comprising a second sidewall; positioning at least a portion of a first foot on the first upper section and first sidewall and at least a portion of a second foot on the second upper section and second sidewall.
 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the first foot on the first sidewall in an everted position.
 31. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the second foot on the second sidewall in an everted position.
 32. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the first foot on the first upper section in an everted position and placing at least a portion of the second foot on the second upper section in an everted position. 